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Panel Rejects Spending Money To Save Bus Route

HOFFMAN ESTATES — Members of the Hoffman Estates Public Works Committee gave thumbs down Monday night to a proposal that the village pitch in money to keep Pace Route 602 running.

Last week, board members of the Pace suburban bus agency voted to eliminate Route 602, the last Pace routey serving a residential area in Hoffman Estates, as well as Route 691 in Buffalo Grove, because of low ridership.

Absent committee approval, the request for village funds to keep the route alive won't go to the Hoffman Estates Village Board for action.

With Hoffman Estates giving up on Route 602, Schaumburg's efforts to save the service are now in jeopardy.

Pace had agreed to work with the two villages to keep a limited form of service, provided that they agreed to help fund a three-month trial of the truncated line.

Buses would continue serving the commuter rail station on the Metra Milwaukee Division West line, but they would no longer run to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.

Susan Kenley, a Hoffman Estates village trustee and member of the Public Works Committee, said she couldn't justify spending money to save bus service for an estimated eight riders from the village.

Kenly cited similar efforts made several years ago to save Route 702 in Hoffman Estates. At the time, the village spent nearly $4,000 on publicity.